Southborough primate lab to make changes

Harvard Medical School says it will start making changes at the primate research center that has come under national scrutiny following the death and injury of several monkeys in the past year and a half.

Harvard Medical School says it will start making changes at the primate research center that has come under national scrutiny following the death and injury of several monkeys in the past year and a half.

The school said it is following the recommendations of an independent panel of scientists who conducted a five-month review of the school’s primate research center and this week released a two-page summary of their report.

The document recommends adding several new leadership positions and advises better oversight and more open communication between the school and the research center, which has played a key role in cancer, AIDS and other medical research.

Southborough’s New England Primate Research Center has come under scrutiny from the U. S. Department of Agriculture after several incidents that resulted in research monkey injuries and deaths.

The USDA investigation of the facility is ongoing, spokesman David Sacks said Wednesday, for the incidents of neglect over the last 18 months. The lab faces up to $10,000 in fines for each violation of the Animal Welfare Act, he said.

But an animal rights advocate who has been following the saga of the lab’s missteps said Wednesday the center isn't doing enough to rectify the situation and should be more transparent.

"It does not sound as though they’re taking the steps necessary to prevent additional deaths from happening in the future," said Michael Budkie, executive director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now!

The summary said the seven-member panel set out to find major themes and processes that could be improved, not to identify every risk identified in previous reports.

"I think they should give a tour of this facility to myself and news media to give us the opportunity to see what’s going on inside this facility," Budkie said.

Harvard Medical School Wednesday did not release the full report "out of sensitivity to the privacy of our operations."

The two-page summary includes eight recommendations that include appointing a new veterinarian and bio-safety officer, creating new staff training programs, more open communication about problems and new approaches to internal oversight.

The recommendations also call for a new senior staff member at Harvard Medical Center who will be an advocate for the research center to make sure the center receives enough support from the medical school.

"To return to its leadership position in the field of nonhuman primate research, the NEPRC must uphold the highest standards in animal care, health and well-being while conducting exemplary biomedical research," the summary says.

The USDA spokesman said the independent review is not likely have any bearing on the findings of the investigation.

Harvard Medical School Dean Jeffrey Flier Tuesday released a statement saying the school has begun implementing the recommendations.

Page 2 of 2 -
(Laura Krantz can be reached at 508-626-4429 or lkrantz@wickedlocal.com.)